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How offering Afterpay has helped City Cave grow.

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City Cave Float and Wellness Centre Rouse Hill initially partnered with Afterpay in 2021 to give clients better access to its natural health and wellness services.“I love Afterpay because I want more people to experience the benefits of our business. It’s easy to use and it helps customers get what they want faster,” says Marty Strong of City Cave.But Strong quickly came to see the business benefits of Afterpay too, from building loyalty among customers to increasing the average order value by 50% and driving sales of high-value products like bulk packages.<h1>About City Cave.</h1>Helping people feel better mentally and physically is a passion for Strong – and, in fact, for his entire family: not only does he work in City Cave’s head office, helping oversee 70 franchisees, but his mother, Jaime, owns three City Cave centres and his brother works for the business, too.Every City Cave branch offers a range of natural therapies, such as floatation, infrared saunas and massage.“I honestly believe that floating changes people’s lives,” says Jaime of floatation therapy, which involves lying in a pool filled with 400kg of Epsom salts. “I wish everyone could float!”<h1>Afterpay helps customers access treatments.</h1>Offering Afterpay means that clients can access the holistic treatments City Cave offers when they need it and pay it off in instalments. “[Afterpay] really helps our clients access our services."&nbsp;“Health and wellness are a ‘need’ not a ‘want’,” says Strong, “and our services can benefit the entire community. Money should never be a limitation on wellness.”

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<h1>Afterpay increases high-value package purchases.</h1>More and more, City Cave clients are using Afterpay to purchase treatments in bulk packages. This means accessing treatments at lower rates and being able to commit to a long-term treatment program rather than ad-hoc appointments.“When a client finishes their first service, we don’t want to send them out the door – we want to provide them with an ongoing wellness solution."“Committing to a 12-month program of floats – which is $1250 – can be quite daunting, but Afterpay makes it more accessible.”

<h1>Afterpay increases average order value.&nbsp;</h1>For City Cave, selling more treatment packages has “revolutionised” the business. “For us, it means higher upfront revenue and more repeat customers,” says Strong. In fact, the average order value for clients who use Afterpay is 50% higher than that of clients who use other payment methods.

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“Afterpay has definitely helped us reach a younger demographic."

<h1>Afterpay attracts new customers.&nbsp;</h1>Afterpay has also helped City Cave reach more clients. Afterpay’s Shop Directory sent more than 7000 referrals to City Cave websites over the past year, while Afterpay Day delivered a 58% spike in sales*.“Afterpay Day offers an opportunity for people – especially younger people – to discover us and experience City Cave treatments. Younger customers all know what Afterpay Day is and when it’s coming up,” says Strong. “Afterpay has definitely helped us reach a younger demographic."

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All references to any registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Afterpay does not endorse or recommend any one particular supplier and the information provided is for educational purposes only.

How offering Afterpay has helped City Cave grow.

How Afterpay helps this wellness business grow sales including high-value packages.

Increasing AOV: How Afterpay helps City Cave boost sales

"Afterpay customers spend 50% more with City Cave."

City Cave

The founders of Bailey Nelson share how Afterpay has helped build brand loyalty and drive growth.

When Peter Winkle and Nick Perry founded <a href="https://baileynelson.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bailey Nelson</a> in 2012, they were determined to offer a new kind of optometry experience.Just as Winkle and Perry took a fresh approach to eyewear, they have been similarly innovative in their approach to payments, and in 2018 Bailey Nelson became the first optical retailer to partner with Afterpay.&nbsp;Today, whenever Bailey Nelson opens a new store, anywhere in the world, it sets up Afterpay in store.“We would recommend to every merchant that they should be working with Afterpay,” says Winkle.<h1>About Bailey Nelson.</h1>When the pair launched Bailey Nelson, they believed there was a gap in the market for affordable, friendly eyewear. “The optometrists we used to go to didn’t have a lot of passion for what they were doing,” says Perry. “The prices were unbelievably high, and it was a very medical, sterile experience.’So, the pair set out to do things differently. They built beautiful, modern stores, recruited passionate staff and offered eyewear that was both stylish and competitively priced.The result was a brand that customers quickly embraced, and a decade later, Bailey Nelson has 110 stores across four countries.<h1>Afterpay attracts younger customers.</h1>The pair realised early on that younger customers were moving away from credit cards, towards buy-now-pay-later payment methods.“You have to follow the younger customers – they are the trendsetters,” says Perry.&nbsp;“Afterpay has built an incredibly strong brand and an incredibly strong connection with younger customers. Our customers expect Afterpay.”&nbsp;

<h1>Afterpay offers customers choice and flexibility.</h1>Winkle adds: “It’s really important for us to have Afterpay. Whether people are interacting with us online or in store, we want it to be the best experience they can have. Afterpay provides a simple way for customers to pay for any of our products and manage the way they want to pay.”Offering customers choice and flexibility is especially important when it comes to paying for health and wellness related products and services, he adds.“Buying glasses is a necessity, not a desire. People need them for work and home, so we believe it’s important to have different payment options.”

<h1>Afterpay drives growth and builds loyalty.</h1>But it’s not just Bailey Nelson customers who enjoy the benefits of Afterpay. The payments platform has also helped drive business growth.Bailey Nelson customers who pay with Afterpay spend, on average, 10% more than other customers. They also shop more frequently with the brand.“We know that Afterpay builds loyalty for our brand – we can see it in the numbers,” says Winkle. “Customers typically shop with us 1.1 times a year, and our Afterpay customers shop even more frequently at 1.2 times a year.”

“You might not think of Afterpay when it comes to health and wellness, but it’s actually a really important part of attracting new customers.”

<h1>Afterpay helps Bailey Nelson reach more customers.</h1>Afterpay also drives awareness, with Afterpay’s Shop Directory sending 16,000 leads to Bailey Nelson’s website. “So that’s 16,000 potential customers that we may or may not have been able to reach without Afterpay.”Meanwhile, Afterpay Day has become a key date in Bailey Nelson’s marketing calendar, and last year drove a 41% uplift in sales compared to the same period over the previous three weeks, as well as a 66% uplift in new customers.“That’s huge for us as a growing brand. We’re constantly looking for ways to connect with new customers, so the fact that we’re able to drive that volume of new customers is huge.”

“You might not think of Afterpay when it comes to health and wellness,” says Winkle. “But it’s actually a really important part of attracting new customers.”“Afterpay has played an important role in our business journey up until this point, and will so in the future.”

Bailey Nelson founders share how Afterpay has helped build loyalty.

“We would recommend Afterpay to every business.”

Bailey Nelson

Why this Chempro Chemist pharmacy offers Afterpay

Pharmacist Bard Kalati spends much of his day dispensing medicine, but it’s the interaction with his customers that he finds truly fulfilling. “It’s the best feeling to be able to help people.”That’s why <a href="https://www.chempro.com.au/chemist-annerley-annerley-midnight-chempro-chemist" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Annerley Midnight Chempro Chemist</a> offers Afterpay - it helps their customers access the health and wellness products they need, when they need it.And in return, customers keep coming back – and new ones are attracted by the accessibility on offer.<h1>About Annerley Midnight Chempro Chemist.</h1>Annerley Midnight Chempro Chemist is part of the <a href="https://www.chempro.com.au/chemist-annerley-annerley-7-days-chempro-chemist" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chempro Chemist group</a>, and is located in Brisbane.&nbsp;As the managing pharmacist, Kalati is passionate about helping people improve their health.

<h1>Afterpay gives on-the-spot access to health and wellness products.&nbsp;</h1>Offering Afterpay means that Kalati’s customers can access the health and wellness products they need, when they need them, and pay them off over time, in instalments.“Afterpay gives customers the opportunity to come into the pharmacy, pick up what they need and walk out happily. That means a lot to me.”

“Once they know we have Afterpay, they come back. Not only do you keep the customer, but you’re keeping a happy customer.”

<h1>Afterpay attracts new customers and retains loyal ones.</h1>As well as making health and wellness products more accessible, Afterpay also helps businesses like Annerley Midnight Chempro Chemist grow.“It helps maintain customers,” he says. “Once they know we have Afterpay, they come back. Not only do you keep the customer, but you’re keeping a happy customer.”

Kalati says that offering Afterpay helps attract younger customers, and that frequently people will call the pharmacy to find out whether Afterpay is available before coming in and making a purchase.Afterpay’s Shop Directory has also driven thousands of referrals – and potential customers – to Chempro Chemist's websites.“I think Afterpay should be an option in every pharmacy,” says Kalati. “I would highly recommend Afterpay. It will help you maintain existing customers and bring new customers in."

Why this Chempro Chemist pharmacy offers Afterpay. 

"Afterpay keeps customers coming back.”

Annerley Pharmacy

How Nick Perry and Peter Winkle launched global optical business Bailey Nelson, and how Afterpay has helped them grow.

Launching any business means making sacrifices – and that was certainly true for the co-founders of <a href="https://baileynelson.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bailey Nelson</a>.By any definition, by their late twenties, Nick Perry and Peter Winkle had excelled in their careers; Perry was working with the founding team at The ICONIC, while Winkle, an ex-management consultant, was set to take up a full scholarship at the University of Oxford.And yet another future beckoned; the pair had spotted a niche in the optometry market, and were convinced that a business selling stylish, modern glasses at competitive prices had potential to be successful.

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So, Perry left his job and Winkle turned down Oxford – and instead they set up a stall at North Bondi markets.&nbsp;It was, they admit, a humbling experience.&nbsp;“We literally had a table with a white plastic tablecloth over it with 20 frames laid out,” recalls Perry. “Most of our friends lived in Bondi, so basically anytime we saw someone we would hide under the table.”&nbsp;When Winkle’s parents – understandably perplexed by their son’s decision to jettison a place at Oxford – visited their stall, the pair memorably failed to sell a single pair of glasses.&nbsp;“Things were very, very tense,” remembers Perry.

Fortunately, the business soon grew, and within a few months, Bailey Nelson opened its first store in William St, Paddington. Today, a decade later, the brand has more than 110 stores in four countries, as well as a thriving online business.Despite Bailey Nelson’s rapid expansion, Winkle and Perry’s vision has remained the same since inception. “We pride ourselves on providing incredible glasses, incredibly good prices and a great customer experience in store,” says Winkle.The pair credit their success to a great product, hard work, attracting the right talent – and perfect timing; when Bailey Nelson launched the retail optometry landscape was ripe for innovation, they say.

"The pair credit their success to a great product, hard work, attracting the right talent – and perfect timing."

“When Peter and were looking to start the business [shopping for glasses] was a very medical experience. The optometrist we used to go to didn’t have a lot of passion for what they were doing, and the prices were unbelievably high. So, it was kind of a grudge purchase,” Perry says.&nbsp;Plus, having studied mechanical engineering, Perry could see that most optical frames were fairly inexpensive to manufacture – but sold with a huge mark-up. “I just thought it was extraordinary. It seemed like such a high margin."

Today, Bailey Nelson has evolved into a full-service optometry business, offering eyewear, retail, sunglasses, contact lenses and optometry services.Just as Winkle and Perry have taken an innovative approach to optometry, they have been similarly forward-thinking in their approach to payments, and, in 2018 Bailey Nelson became the first optical retailer to partner with Afterpay. Today, all their stores offer Afterpay or Clearpay.“We would recommend to every merchant that they should be working with Afterpay,” says Winkle.The business took on Afterpay after customers – especially younger customers – began asking for it, and at first, says Perry, they didn’t understand the value of the payments platform – or the younger generations’ aversion to credit. “I’m an older Millennial and I’ve always had credit cards,” says Perry. “So, I didn’t get it at the start. But you have to follow the younger customers – they are the trendsetters.”

Today, Afterpay allows Bailey Nelson customers to purchase glasses or other optical products when they need them and pay them off in instalments. Offering this kind of flexibility is critical for customer-centric brands, says Winkle, especially those in the health space.&nbsp;“Buying glasses is a necessity not a desire. People need them for work and home, so we believe it’s important to have different payment options.”And the Afterpay partnership has benefited Bailey Nelson, too. Customers who pay with Afterpay spend, on average, 10 per cent more than other customers at Bailey Nelson. They also shop more frequently with the brand. Meanwhile, Afterpay Day drives awareness and last year a 41 per cent spike in sales.“Afterpay has played an important role in our business journey up until this point and will so in the future.”

How Nick Perry and Peter Winkle launched global optical business Bailey Nelson, and how Afterpay has helped them grow


How Nick Perry and Peter Winkle launched global optical retailer Bailey Nelson, and how Afterpay has helped them grow

Bailey Nelson's innovative vision for the optometrist indutry

Inside Bailey Nelson’s vision for a new type of optometrist

Inside the success of men’s health platform Mosh.

It was bad enough to be experiencing hair loss in his early 20s, but when lawyer-turned-management-consultant Gabe Baker went searching for treatment, things somehow got worse.The large hair loss treatment clinics he visited turned out to be expensive and determined to lock him into a long-term contract. Plus, he adds, as a self-conscious young 20-something, “it was a fairly embarrassing experience walking into a hair loss clinic”.

"It was a fairly embarrassing experience walking into a hair loss clinic.”

Baker was sure there was a better way – and after talking it through with his flatmate, financial consultant David Narunsky, the pair decided to launch a business that offered hair loss consultations and treatments online using telehealth.“Bringing the whole model online solved a lot of the issues,” says Baker. “It meant you could [deliver the services] in a discreet way. And you also cut out all the real estate costs and could therefore offer a cheaper and more affordable solution to potential customers.”Providing home delivery for products made treatment even more convenient and discreet for customers. “You don’t even have to worry about going for repeat prescriptions or frequent visits to the pharmacy.”It was a neat end-to-end solution, but even Baker and Narunsky couldn’t have predicted how successful their business, <a href="https://www.getmosh.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mosh</a>, would become.

Just five years since the pair dreamed up the idea from their Bondi flat, Mosh has more than 50,000 customers, attracted three rounds of investment and been valued at $90m. It has also expanded into other men’s health areas including weight loss, erectile dysfunction and mental health.&nbsp;“Guys are pretty bad when it comes to being proactive about our health care,” says Narunsky. “Mosh as a platform is focused on making men’s health easier.”<h2>Bootstrapping vs borrowing</h2>At first, Mosh grew thanks to Narunsky and Baker’s sheer determination (“We would come home every day with a passion to do a bit more. That passion or fire was always there.”) and their own savings.Looking back, the pair say that <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/boosting-profitability/bootstrapping-business" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bootstrappin</a>g was the right choice for them. “For me, finding the right product, and market fit and validating the concept before going out to market for funding makes a lot of sense,” says Narunsky.Later, their background in finance and management consultancy helped them structure the funding deals they secured for Mosh.<h2>Why marketing matters</h2>&nbsp;What neither Narunsky or Baker had experience in was marketing – and early on they admit they underestimated its importance.“We were overly focused on product and one of the big learnings for me is that you have to have a solid go-to marketing strategy in place as you’re building your product. Otherwise, you end up with a perfect product…but nobody knows about it.”

They quickly rectified this by making marketing one of their first hires, and today Mosh, which has a stylish, modern website, has a number of sports sponsorships in place to boost brand awareness.“It’s about entering into ‘purposeful partnerships’,” says Narunsky, pointing to Mosh’s sponsorship of Melbourne’s St Kilda Football Club, which has a dedicated mental health and wellness facility for players. “There’s a really nice alignment there between our mental health offering and what they have built.”<h2>How Mosh uses content throughout the funnel</h2>Another key marketing strategy is content. Today, Mosh offers an extensive database of engaging articles about men’s health. “We really try to break down the stigma surrounding a lot of the issues that we’re trying to treat.”Not only does Mosh’s content, delivered by <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/email-marketing/what-is" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">email marketing</a> and <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/small-business-social-media-guide" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">social media</a>, keep the brand front of mind with customers, but it helps educate customers and raise awareness of additional products and services available on Mosh.“We’ve been able to start conversations… what’s really interesting is the majority of our customers are treating a condition for the first time. We’re really building out a new market here.”

<h2>Maintaining the right mindset</h2>Throughout Mosh’s business journey, Baker and Narunsky say that maintaining a positive mindset has been key. “Building a business is hard,” says Narunsky. “There are no free lunches! And we are operating a complicated business.&nbsp;“It’s highly regulated, there are lots of stakeholders – we’re dealing with medical professionals, we’re dealing with customers, we’re dealing with a range of different categories,” says Narunsky, adding that scaling and securing investment is also particularly challenging right now.“But I’m a big believer in having the right team, having the right mindset,” says Narunsky. Because if you’re in the entrepreneurial space, you’re going to be facing battles.”<h2>The pandemic push</h2>One battle that Mosh initially faced was convincing doctors and patients of the validity of telehealth.“Before the pandemic, we had to go and speak at conferences or events and we’d have to try and explain to people that it’s not illegal to consult your doctor online. We would always say, ‘Raise your hand if you know that you can speak to your doctor online’ and barely anyone would raise their hand.”The global pandemic changed all of that, says Baker.<h2>Partnering with Afterpay</h2>Another boost to the business has been Afterpay, which Mosh partnered with early on.“Our customers were demanding it as an option,” says Baker, who adds that offering Afterpay has increased Mosh’s reach. “It’s expanded the pool of available users to us because there’s a huge chunk of the population looking to shop online with flexible payment options.”

Inside the success of men’s health platform Mosh

Founders of men's health platform Mosh, Gabe Baker and David Narunksy, explain how they built their business, and how marketing and content fueled its growth.

Mosh: from Bondi bedroom to $90m business

From Bondi bedroom to multimillion-dollar business

Mosh success story 

Making convenience a priority - and a commitment to doing the right thing for the environment - has helped this purpose-led hygiene care brand soar to success.

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As a three-time start-up founder Prisca Ongonga-Daehn is no stranger to making quick decisions.&nbsp;So, when a conversation around the family dinner table turned to the Great&nbsp;Pacific Garbage Patch&nbsp;— the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world – Ongonga-Daehn immediately started thinking of ways to take action around climate change.Over the next few weeks, her family started making positive changes around their home and improve their impact on the environment, from switching from clingfilm to beeswax wraps in the kitchen to being diligent about recycling and food waste. But when Ongonga-Daehn turned her attention to the bathroom, she realised that the only reusable alternative to buying single-use hand soap that she could not recycle involved driving to a refill station in Melbourne, which wasn't only inconvenient, but also consumes energy that could be better spent elsewhere and a demanded addition to her carbon footprint.

“It’s not convenient for me to drive into Melbourne all the time to go to the refilling station and I don’t have space to keep litres of hand soap stored away.”&nbsp;“I thought, ‘This is crazy! There are so many sustainability solutions ready for the kitchen and nothing really for the bathroom where we wash our hands and bodies every day?’”.So ensued a two-year journey of researching sustainability, environmental and green business solutions that would have a minimal climate impact, reduce waste, recycle, and offer a genuinely helpful solution in the form of an eco-friendly company with management who believed in its ethos.&nbsp;﻿The result? The company's first green&nbsp;product launched in November 2020: a waterless plant-based handwash powder concentrate delivered in a certified home-compostable sachet that is environmentally sound and climate-friendly and designed with sustainability in mind.

Made sustainably in Australia to reduce carbon emissions, the eco-friendly sachets are delivered us carbon-offset shipping to reduce environmental impact and the industry's often heavy carbon footprint. All users have to do is add one of the environmentally green sachets to 300ml of water and voila! A sustainable foaming handwash perfect for your family, the environment and your skin is created.&nbsp;&nbsp;The product was an instant sell-out, leading to the company's recent expansion into body wash, with plans to launch a shampoo and conditioner this year.&nbsp;Since the launch of her sustainable business, Ongonga-Daehn has had time to reflect on what makes a successful climate-conscious brand.Her conclusion? Convenience is key for sustainable brands that want to succeed in the sustainability industry. In an increasingly busy world where more and more people are thinking about climate change and searching for reusable and environmental products for homes that they can recycle, engaging with technology and doing resource research is key.&nbsp;

<h2>Why customer convenience is key for sustainable brands</h2>The secret to convincing consumers to try a new product – particularly one that is sustainable – is to make the experience as convenient and simple as possible, says&nbsp;Ongonga-Daehn.

“What do we have to do to make it a no-brainer solution?”

When it comes to designing products, the question Ongonga-Daehn always asks her team is “What do we have to do to make it a no-brainer solution? That’s our challenge.”

<h2>1. Boosting convenience with subscriptions&nbsp;</h2>As an online-only, direct-to-consumer business which delivers its products straight to consumers' doors, baresop. is already a convenient sustainability option for consumers wanting to buy environmentally designed toiletries that improve their skin and reduce waste at the same time. But the brand takes this one step further by leading with clever technology options like their&nbsp;<a href="https://baresop.com/policies/subscription-policy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">subscription service</a>&nbsp;option which ensures sachets arrive every few months without customers having to remember.<h2>2. Making sustainability easy with home-compostable packaging&nbsp;</h2>“We have thought about the entire lifecycle of our product,” explains Ongonga-Daehn, who introduced home compostable packaging which allows customers to add the sachet packets to their home compost or green waste bin.<h2>3. How Afterpay makes payment easier&nbsp;</h2>“One of the biggest challenges of running a sustainable business is that people will compare the price of your product to a product that has been produced off-shore in massive quantities, using really harsh, cheap, chemicals or unethical practices,” says Ongonga-Daehn.One way&nbsp;baresop.&nbsp;combats this and makes its green products more accessible is by offering Afterpay.&nbsp;“We are seeing a lot of our customers use Afterpay, especially post-peak pandemic when most people have had their income compromised to some level” notes Prisca, who says that offering Afterpay means that her customers do not have to choose between price and planet.&nbsp;Aside from offering a <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/marketing/customer-centricity" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">customer-centric</a> approach that’s as convenient as possible, Ongonga-Daehn says the other crucial aspect of running a successful sustainable brand is authenticity.

"Your ‘why’ has to be substantive and true."

“As a founder, it's so important to me that we are doing real things that are impacting people's lives and championing change in an authentic way, and not just for PR.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learnt from starting baresop. is that if you're doing something purely because you can see the dollar amount, or you want to buy a bigger house or a flashy car, don’t do it. Please. Because it’s not enough to get you through the hardships that come with starting a business. This is my third business and it’s harder every single time, so if money is your core driver you’re going to burn out. Your ‘why’ has to be substantive and true.”

baresop. founder Prisca Ongonga-Daehn shares her secrets to running a successful and sustainable business. 

baresop. founder Prisca Ongonga-Daehn shares her secrets to business sustainability and running a successful brand

Business sustainability: baresop. on how to be more sustainable

Business sustainability: baresop. founder on how to be more sustainable

 baresop. on the secret to creating a successful sustainable brand  

The team at skin cancer detection specialists MoleMap celebrate every time they save a life. Here’s why they make sure caring is at the core of their business model - and how Afterpay helps them in their mission

When Michelle Aquilina took on the role of CEO of<a href="https://www.molemap.net.au/sydney" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </a><a href="https://www.molemap.net.au/sydney" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">MoleMap</a>, Australasia’s leading skin cancer detection, mapping and diagnosis specialists, in September 2021, she says one of the aspects of the business that most impressed her was how thoroughly it centred on its patients. “Since it was originally founded in 1997, it had one goal,” she says. “To decrease the number of deaths from melanoma.”That goal is much more than just a line in a spreadsheet or forecasting model. It’s something that Aquilina and the team say they celebrate every day.

Early detection and saving lives is what matters to us.

“Early detection and saving lives is what matters to us,” she says. “We make life-changing discoveries for individuals and families. For me, those are the most fulfilling moments.”In fact, those moments are so powerful and impactful, Aquilina says, that the team takes time to celebrate and acknowledge each success. “Oh, we talk about them all the time, we celebrate them,” Aquilina insists. “We will always communicate from the bottom up on any diagnosis that has saved a life and made an impact to an individual. We genuinely care."

It’s this legitimate empathy, one that Aquilina tries to model from the top, that she believes is behind the company’s success over the last 25 years. From its early beginnings in New Zealand, MoleMap now has 110 staff across New Zealand and Australia, and in 2021, it achieved its highest revenue ever.<h2>A singular focus&nbsp;</h2>Most importantly, the team diagnosed just under 5000 suspected melanoma and skin cancers during 2021. And the company’s future projection is ambitious, with plans to double in size in the next few years.Aside from a culture of compassion, the key to MoleMap’s success is that it has a clear and unflinching focus, according to Aquilina. Skin cancer detection and diagnosis is all they do. “We are a holistic, end-to-end service,” she says.&nbsp;<h2>A tech-meets-expert approach</h2>When a patient visits MoleMap, a dermacopic camera is used to identify any benign or malignant skin lesions. Those images are pushed into the cloud where an algorithm is used to identify any anomalies. And then, critically, a human element is brought in; the data is sent to a telehealth dermatologist who makes a final diagnosis. A report is prepared for the patient, letting them know whether things are all clear, if they need to return or whether there’s an identified melanoma or skin cancer.

“All we do is look at skin – monitor and check,” Aquilina says. “Every year people have their eyes checked; they visit the dentist. We want the community to include regular, routine skin health checks. That’s the gap we’re filling.”<h2>Making health more accessible with Afterpay</h2>The biggest barrier for MoleMap’s patients has been cost. “That initial visit with a MoleMap specialist isn’t government-funded,” Aquilina explains. Her solution? Afterpay. “As soon as I took the reins, I quickly identified there was a significant opportunity for Afterpay to be embedded in our business model,” she says. When she brought it on, she saw an immediate uptake from patients, estimating that around 5 per cent of new patients used Afterpay to pay for their MoleMap service, and existing patients also rushed to come on board the buy-now-pay-later model.

By providing affordable and accessible healthcare Afterpay is saving lives.

For Aquilina, the impact was undeniable. “What Afterpay has done is create affordable and accessible healthcare,” she says. “That should not be underestimated. Afterpay is saving lives.”

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The team at skin cancer detection specialists MoleMap celebrate every time they save a life. Here’s why they make sure caring is at the core of their business model - and how Afterpay helps them in their mission

MoleMap CEO: "We celebrate every time we save a life"

How a patient-centric approach helps MoleMap thrive

And why Afterpay was a key partner

It was an idea that disrupted an entire industry – and quickly became one of Australia’s most successful start-ups.&nbsp;Today,&nbsp;<a href="https://hismileteeth.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">HiSmile</a>, which offers at-home teeth-whitening kits, sells 1 million kits each year and has turned over $200 million over the past five years.But to truly appreciate the brand’s extraordinary popularity, you only have to scroll through its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/hismile/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">social media pages.</a> There, videos of fresh-faced beauty bloggers enthusiastically applying HiSmile products sit alongside photographs that have been ‘liked’ and commented on by tens of thousands of the brand’s devoted 4 million fans.&nbsp;“We’re a brand that was born and bred on social and digital,"&nbsp;says HiSmile 2IC Justin Gaggino.&nbsp;"[When we launched] no one had the unique understanding of social media that we did at the time, which allowed us to scale for maximum results.”&nbsp;That unique understanding of the appeal of social media to millennials was aided by the fact that the company’s two co-founders Nik Mirkovic, 24, and Alex Tomic, 26, are millennials themselves.&nbsp;“They saw an area [in teeth whitening] where no one was really building a brand in the teeth whitening space. It was very clinical and dental, whereas the way we’ve approached it is very cosmetic.”

Part of HiSmile’s millennial-savvy strategy involved embracing <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">social media influencer marketing</a> - from enlisting micro-influencers to superstars such as Kylie Jenner and boxer Conor McGregor – early on.These days, the focus is on “trusted” influencers with deep engagement, rather than huge followings – although Gaggino adds that “as the influencer market matures, we’re looking at different ways to attract the attention of our core customer”. This means paid media spend, user-generated content, investing in attention-grabbing original social content with a nine-person in-house team and exploring new platforms like Tiktok. “We’re very agile – we’re not afraid to just try things, and I think that speaks well to millennials.”

“We’re not afraid to just try things, and I think that speaks well to millennials.”

Although HiSmile’s core customer base is 25-34, the brand aims to speak to 16-25 year-old women. “It’s all about reflecting who your loudest customers are – the ones who will build that brand advocacy. Those young advocates are loud, they're quite&nbsp;passionate and creative... which attracts the attention of other demographics."&nbsp;For this young customer base, transparency (HiSmile products are cruelty-free and vegan), a fun, relatable approach (emojis and millennial pink are fixtures on the brand’s social pages) and personal customer experience are key.&nbsp;

“Afterpay has been very beneficial. Cart abandonment rates have dropped, and when customers shop with Afterpay average order values increase."

Another crucial aspect has been Afterpay, says Gaggino. “Afterpay is a core component of millennials’ purchase behaviour. It’s the way millennials like to shop.” For products like those offered by HiSmile, which retail at $80 per kit, Afterpay has helped ease the path to purchase, says Gaggino.&nbsp;“Afterpay has been very beneficial. Cart abandonment rates have dropped, and when [customers] shop with Afterpay average order values increase.”Not only that but digital co-marketing partnerships have helped HiSmile extend its reach, including into new territories like the US. “We’ve been advertising with Afterpay and they’ve been advertising with us. We’ve been working in tandem to make mutually beneficial business gains, where we spread awareness with our customer base and vice versa.”So, where does a fast-growing $200 million company head next? Gaggino says the brand will be investing heavily in research and development in 2020, and looking to cement itself as a global, household name. One thing’s for sure: wherever HiSmile goes, millennials are sure to follow.&nbsp;&nbsp;

All references to any registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Afterpay does not endorse or recommend any one particular supplier and the information provided is for educational purposes only.&nbsp;

With an industry-disrupting idea, HiSmile is selling more than 1 million teeth-whitening kits every year. Find out how HiSmile unlocked the millennial market on Afterpay Access.

With an industry disrupting idea, HiSmile is selling more than 1 million teeth whitening kits every year Find out how HiSmile unlocked the millennial market on Afterpay Access

Social Media Business Strategies from HiSmile | Afterpay

How HiSmile unlocked the millennial market

Nutritionist Jessica Sepel on leveraging social media

When Jessica Sepel first launched her health blog in 2012, body positivity wasn’t a buzzword, being healthy was often code for being skinny, and wellness and beauty were two distinctly separate sectors.&nbsp;It was against this backdrop that Sepel, a nutritionist, started posting about her own health journey, and gradually building an audience who loved her warm and relatable mix of health tips and self-love advice.Today, Sepel presides over a multimillion-dollar empire dominated by a hugely successful vitamin and supplement range, as well as books, an eight-week program and an app.&nbsp;

"I think people appreciate that I’m a nutritionist and not a celebrity."

What hasn’t changed is Sepel’s devotion to community building, which she credits as one of the key reasons for her vitamin range’s success. “I think people appreciate having me as the face of the brand, especially knowing that I’m a nutritionist and not a celebrity. They can connect with me and it’s a tangible and relatable connection.”

That’s not to say that Sepel simply parlayed social media fame into sales. When she launched her vitamin business, JSHealth, she had 60,000 followers; today that’s grown to more than 550,000 across three accounts (@jshealth, @jshealthvitamins and @jshealthapp).&nbsp;The secret is personal, accessible content and a commitment to community, says Sepel, who spends three hours every day on social media, responding to DMs, writing candid captions for her posts and engaging with individuals.&nbsp;Sepel launched JSHealth in 2018 after attempting – and ultimately failing – to launch a food product. After setting out to create a healthy Coco Pops cereal alternative, the nutritionist decided that the ingredients were too expensive and the market too competitive, and pivoted to vitamins, which were a longtime passion.

It took two years to develop the range, and Sepel almost gave up after spending tens of thousands of dollars on two different manufacturers who couldn’t deliver on what she required.After eventually finding the right manufacturer in Australia, Sepel’s next challenge was to create the formulas with a team of experts. “We spent a lot of time perfecting the formulas, making sure the ingredients were well researched and high quality, and using therapeutic dosages. A lot of companies don’t use therapeutic doses, because it’s expensive, but we do.”&nbsp;Today, the JSHealth Vitamins range features products that specifically target women aged 18 to 55, including anxiety and stress formulations, hormone and PMS support, and collagen supplements.Next to her brightly coloured competitors, Sepel’s products stand out with their stylish, clean white labels and rose gold accents. But that’s not the only difference between JSHealth and its rivals. On social media, JSHealth takes a markedly different approach to content; compared to the heavily stylised social media feeds of most vitamin companies – which tend to be dominated by sterile product shots – Sepel’s posts feel real and relatable.&nbsp;“If I post my really messy five-minute work lunch of pasta with a napolitana sauce, people relate to that more than a polished, perfectly edited photo,” explains Sepel. JSHealth also makes use of user-generated reviews, which are posted on its website and to social media, often using before and after shots to illustrate the health transformation. As a result, JSHealth has up to five times the social media followings of some of the largest, global vitamin brands.&nbsp;

“If I post my really messy five-minute work lunch of pasta, people relate to that more than a polished, perfectly edited photo.”

“Unlike the big brands, we are very much in touch with our community, and every single product has been created for them,” says Sepel, who personally checks in with customers and sends out care packages to the 20-odd “JSHealth girls” who’ve supported her since the beginning.&nbsp;In 2021, Sepel plans to launch several new formulations – including a male hair growth and libido blend – and two (currently top-secret) new verticals on the JSHealth website.&nbsp;With the global beauty supplements industry projected to be worth US$6.8 billion by the end of 2024, Sepel also plans to continue building her beloved community, not only in Australia, but globally, too. “We’re focusing on international expansion in 2021. JSHealth has an intimacy with our customers that the big brands don’t have.”

<h2>JSHealth founder and director Jessica Sepel’s three pieces of advice for starting a new business:&nbsp;</h2>

Embrace your challenges.&nbsp;“Don’t wish your challenges away because they will strengthen your business. When we created JSHealth Vitamins, we had at least three failures before we found the right manufacturer who shares our passion. Don’t be afraid of the tough times because, ultimately, they turn into blessings. Use your failures as motivation to keep going.”&nbsp;

Be consistent on social media.&nbsp;“Your tone of voice and your mission has to infiltrate every part of your business and be consistent throughout all of your content, including your Instagram captions, eDMs and website copy. I’m so lucky that the JSHealth team understands our brand and genuinely care about our community.Be selective with <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influencer marketing</a>. We get a lot of requests from influencers and celebrities wanting to try our product, but we only engage with influencers who love our brand and are excited to share their before-and-after <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/product-photography/product-photos-iphone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">photos</a>. For example, Martha [Kalifatidis, of&nbsp;Married at First Sight&nbsp;fame] actually carries the vitality and collagen blend in her bag [her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CIu2-tDgYr6/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@JSHealthVitamins</a>&nbsp;post received 23,200 likes in 24 hours]. As the director, it’s my job to oversee everything and make sure all the teams are speaking the same language – across digital, graphics, customer support and growth – to make sure the messaging is consistent.”&nbsp;

Stay authentic.&nbsp;“Above all else, I think it’s important to stay connected to your mission. It’s my heartfelt purpose to help people live a healthy life, and I’ve maintained that throughout my business journey.”&nbsp;

Discover how nutritionist Jessica Sepel is leveraging social media to grow her multimillion-dollar vitamin empire, JS Health on Afterpay Access

Discover how nutritionist Jessica Sepel is leveraging social media to grow her multimillion dollar vitamin empire, JS Health on Afterpay Access